TUAOA Origins of the Elemental Gelade
by Chewie Cookies
Summary: Millennia after the fall of Konoha, Naruto and Hinata, immortal demons of great power, have conceived a new race of beings through their love. Now, though, they must fight against two evil groups for their race's right to freedom. NaruHina-CouRen.
1. Waking Up in a New Era

The Origins of the Elemental Gelade

Disclaimer: I disclaim all that is used in this fanfiction.

Author's Note: If you haven't seen the first episode of Elemental Gelade, you might feel lost reading this chapter. FYI, in the Elemental Gelade series, the anime storyline is much different than the manga storyline. This fic follows the anime storyline, because I have yet to find the full manga series online, or anywhere, for that matter.

2nd Author's Note: brown phantom has a poll on his profile, as does zentary, concerning who the best author on is. Please visit said profiles and vote!

Chapter One

_Waking Up in a New Era_

Begin Story...

Ren was scared. The last thing she remembered was being sealed by the ROOT members that had invaded Atarashi Konoha (New Leaf), in the hopes of taking the rest of her family into custody. Her twin sister, Eve, had already been taken a few weeks ago, or more, depending on how long she had been sealed away. She, along with many of the "Rookie Eight", as they were called during their prime, had been separated from her mother and father, Hinata and Naruto, during the confusion. And now that she was waking up from her sealing, she knew she was either being prepared for whatever experiments Kota Shimura, the new leader of ROOT, wanted performed on her, or she was about to see the faces of her parents.

You can imagine how surprised she was when she opened her eyes to see the face of somebody who was obviously as confused as she was. "Since when do mannequins' eyes open on their own?" the boy asked himself, startled. He was startled even further when Ren let out a groan and tried to sit up.

"Where am I?" Ren asked, confused.

The boy, deciding to help her out, answered, "You're aboard the Red Lynx airship. My name's Coud Van Giruet, but just call me Cou. Anyway, why were you in that box?"

Ren, who had zoned out somewhat after hearing where she was and the boy's name, immediately pulsed her chakra, making sure she wasn't trapped in a genjutsu. After finding that what she's experiencing right now is real, she sniffed the air, hoping to get an idea of her surroundings. Getting Cou's scent in her nose, she frowned. "You're... a human..." she muttered, somewhat disappointed, yet also a bit relieved, since he would have been more dangerous if he were something else.

Cou looked confused for a moment, then asked, "Isn't there a saying for what you just said? Something like, 'the pot calling the kettle black'? You're as human as I am."

Ren didn't bother replying to him, instead getting out of the coffin that she had apparently been kept in. Disoriented, she walked a few steps carefully, but she soon lost her balance and fell... or she would have, but Cou caught her, and helped her up.

"Are you okay? What happened to you?" he asked worriedly.

Ren immediately tensed, and muttered, "Please don't touch me... I don't like humans."

Cou took his hands back, hoping not to offend her. "What do you mean? You're a human too, aren't you?" he asked.

Ren took a couple of deep breaths, reorienting herself, and replied, "I may appear to be human, but believe me, I'm not."

Almost as soon as she said that, an alarm sounded. "Dammit! The enemy?" Cou muttered to himself, then grabbed Ren's hand, and said, "Human or not, I'm not going to leave you in the treasure room during an attack. That's the first place the enemy will go to, and I don't want you to wind up getting hurt!"

Cou quickly dragged Ren out of the room, and headed to the bridge. Once there, Cou immediately went to the man who was apparently in charge.

"Old man! What's going on?" he asked (Yeah, I know I just dubbed him 'old man', but that's all they ever call him in the anime and the manga).

"Just wait in the-" the old man said, then saw who was with Cou and immediately got angry. "What are you doing, fooling around with a girl at a time like this?"

"I wasn't fooling around!" Cou shouted back in protest, then explained, "I found her inside of one of the boxes in the treasure vault. And I get the feeling she didn't want to be in that box..."

The boss seemed to ponder this for a second, until one of the crew members relayed some startling information. "That small plane is sending us a message. They're requesting permission to board, sir," the young man at the helm said.

"Let them aboard. If they're friendly, this should be over soon. If they're not, well, we'll just have to show them how to pick their targets better!" the boss shouted, causing all the other crew members to shout out in delight at the thought of a good fight.

Meanwhile, Ren was having different thoughts. _"My body is still weak, and it will take at least a half an hour more for my shape-shifting powers to bring it back to normal. If a fight breaks out, I might not make it out without getting badly hurt... I guess my life is in the hands of these sky pirates for now..."_ she thought to herself.

And so, the group waited for the newcomers to board...

About five minutes later...

Three people walked onto the bridge, one of whom was very short, and had the most mushroom-like hat anybody had ever seen. "Hello! Sorry to bother you all so early in the morning! We're from Arc Aile, the Edel Raid Complete Protection Agency, and we're here to buy back an Edel Raid that you stole! I'm the leader of this team. Despite my young looks, I'm a grown, sophisticated woman! My name's Cisqua!" the small girl with the mushroom-like hat said a little too cheerfully.

AN: I will post links to pics of all these characters on my profile soon, so I'm not going to bother describing them very thoroughly.

A tall blonde man next to her waved slightly. "I'm Rowen... I guess you could say I'm the sub-leader," he said, sounding friendly enough, but slightly tired.

As for the dark-skinned woman on the other side of shor- I mean Cisqua, she yawned loudly. "My name's Kuea, and I'm starving..." she groaned, obviously not very enthusiastic about what was going on.

Cou looked at them, confused. "What's this 'edel' thingy you're talking about?" he asked, confused.

Cisqua laughed slightly. "What do you mean? She's standing right behind you, silly!" she giggled. A look of realization crossed her face, and she asked, "Wait! Why is she awake? Did you do something to her?"

"Heck no! I'm not about to take advantage of a girl like that!" he shouted defiantly, getting a bit red in the face with anger.

"_So, there are more of my kind now, and we're called 'edel raids'. Either that, or this woman has the wrong person,"_ Ren thought to herself, then wondered, _"But how would more of our kind come about? Mama and Papa wouldn't just forget about Eve and me... Those ROOT agents must have found a way to clone Eve-chan!"_

She was brought out of her thoughts when she heard something that sounded like a cash register. "How about this?" the woman named Cisqua asked, showing Cou a paper that came out of a small machine.

"Are you kidding me?" Cou shouted, throwing the paper away, obviously offended. "What kind of sick people are you?" he asked.

Cisqua seemed to get nervous. "Oh, okay, so you're a tough customer..." she stammered, then pressed a few more buttons on the machine, and a new sheet of paper was printed out, and she continued, "This amount should give you guys enough to buy a new ship! However, we can't really go any higher than this..."

Ren frowned, and though it was hard to tell, she was coming close to shedding tears. _"I'm being bought... Like a slave... What will happen to me? What's been happening to all the rest of these so-called 'edel raids'?"_ she wondered to herself. The words she heard next, though, brought a bit of hope to her.

"You can't just _buy_ her like she's some kind of object! She can freaking think for herself! If she wants to go with you, _ask her_! If not, then just leave her alone!" Cou shouted, enraged, and ripped the second piece of paper in two.

Cisqua smiled, sensing an easy victory. "Well, what about it, Miss Reverie Metherlence? Would you like to come with us to Arc Aile, where you'll be protected from harm forever, and live in peace and happiness?" she asked, grinning at the thought of how much money she'd get from her superiors once she completed the mission.

Ren, however, sensed something in Cou. A powerful conviction to do what's right, just like her father. And after hearing that false name from Cisqua, she knew she'd need somebody to guide her through this world.

Ren walked next to Cou, and whispered, "I will give you strength. In return, please help me find my parents and sister. I can't fight these three the way I am right now, so please, will you trust and help me?"

Cou nodded ever so slightly, and Ren smiled. "Don't worry. We'll survive what I'm about to do," she said, confusing him for an instant, before, suddenly, she grabbed him, and leapt through the window of the bridge with him, falling through the air at least a mile above the ground.

Cou's first thought was to scream his head off, and he almost did, but suddenly, he wasn't falling... but he sure as hell didn't know where he was. The place looked like it was made of a green gemstone, and he was somehow inside of it.

Then, he saw her. The girl seemed to appear right in front of him, and she smiled softly at him. "You've told me your name, Cou. My name is Reverie Uzumaki-Namikaze, but my friends call me Ren. Now, I will forge a pact with you. Please, though, help me find my family?" she said, sounding slightly sad.

Cou nodded. "I will," he said, then added, "I promise."

Ren took his hands into hers, and he heard it...

"_Aeka naru yo ni,_

_Togitsumugaru."_

A gentle wind seemed to begin passing the two of them.

"_Manafuta ni hayuri, ama no hara."_

The ribbon weaving through Ren's hair seemed to glide away with the wind, revealing a beautiful gemstone, as green as the area surrounding them.

"_Ishuka wa kashiku, tsutsumikomi._

_Ware to imashi to."_

As Cou held onto her, an energy surrounded them. It didn't seem to affect Cou, but, even as he held onto her, Ren was lifted into the air...

"_Ai yori no,_

_Chigiru Musubanu."_

and she vanished, as a symbol made of energy seemed to fade into his forehead.

"_Iki no you ni,"_

Suddenly, Cou found himself rising.

"_akarashima kaze wo, matoitai."_

Ren appeared again, this time, behind Cou, in an ethereal form, and... naked, but too ghostly for Cou to see anything. She looked at him, with a warm expression on her face, and seemed to take a place behind his right shoulder.

"_Imashi to ware to,"_

Her right arm began reaching down his, as if trying to get a feel for it...

"_doko shimenai."_

and both of their arms were enveloped in a cyclone of wind, which then formed an incredible sword, seemingly made of pale jade, with a bit of pale red color on the inside of the blade, and a deep green gem near the end that was connected to Cou.

"_Akaki kokoro wo,"_

A pair of small blue orbs floated to the sword, and seemed to stay floating at the spot where Cou's arm became the sword.

"_kaze wo matoite."_

A ribbon, the same blue as the two orbs, wrapped around his arm in the same spot, and somehow seemed to connect the orbs without touching them.

"_Chigiri Musubanu."_

Ren, who was behind Cou, still in her ethereal form, nodded slightly at him. Cou gave the sword an experimental swing, and, with a blast of energy, they returned...

to falling from WAY TOO HIGH UP!

"Gaaaaaahhh! What am I supposed to do now? We'll both still die if we hit the ground!" Cou shouted.

Ren's ethereal form wrapped her arms around his waist from behind. "Relax, Cou. In this form, the wind is our ally. We'll simply ask it to take us up," she said, and almost the instant she did, their descent slowed, then stopped, and they were rising back up to the airship.

"It looks like your friends and the people from Arc Aile are being attacked," Ren said, observing the situation through the Byakugan she inherited from her mother.

"Can you tell me who they are?" Cou asked.

Ren shook her head. "No. It looks like I've been asleep for a very long time, because I don't recognize those symbols on their clothes at all," she said, then added, "It looks like one of those flying things they're riding in has noticed us. Point me at something important on it."

Cou did as she said, and aimed Ren's sword form at one of the propellers that was keeping the small fighter in the air. Next to him, he could see Ren doing something odd with her hands. "Wind Style: Drilling Air Projectile," she murmured, and an intense blast of wind shot out from the tip of the sword, smashing into the propeller and breaking it into pieces. The fighter plane immediately lost its ability to properly direct itself, and spiraled down to the ground below.

"...Wow, you can shoot bullets made of wind, Ren? You're amazing! Not that I didn't think there was something neat about you before, but this sure as heck makes things even better!" he said happily, then wondered absentmindedly to himself how he'd be able to thank her for this.

Ren, as if sensing his thoughts, replied, "I'll do what I can to help you, as long as you remember your promise to help me find my family."

Cou smiled. "That's fine by me! Your family must have some very interesting people in it!" he said happily as the two of them landed aboard the bridge of the Red Lynx once again, getting ready to fight...

Meanwhile, in a large cavern filled with ruins, not so far away...

Hinata Namikaze-Uzumaki, her spirit still alive, though her body not so, lifted her head for a moment, sensing something. She quickly woke her husband, Naruto.

"Naruto-kun, wake up! Something's happened with Ren-chan!" she exclaimed.

Naruto, his body also gone, quickly woke up upon hearing the name of one of his daughters. "What's this about Ren-chan?" he asked, then extended his senses, smiled, and exclaimed, "Awesome! The seal that's been keeping us from sensing her has been removed! We can send the toads to bring her back to us now, and then we'll be able to find Eve-chan, too!" he exclaimed, then frowned, and muttered, "I sense something else, though... SHE REACTED WITH A HUMAN?"

Hinata giggled at her husband's sudden outburst. "Don't worry, Naruto-kun. I sense he's a good person, so we probably won't have to worry about something bad happening. I wonder if Ren-chan remembers what we'd decided reacting with a human of the opposite gender would mean," she said to her beloved.

Naruto face-palmed. "I get the feeling she isn't going to be too thrilled when we tell her," he muttered, then pulled his hand away from his face, and said, "Well, we'd better send some of the toads out. It's times like these that I wish even more than usual that we could leave this cave!"

Hinata smiled. "Don't worry, Naru-kun. We'll be able to leave soon," she said warmly, wrapping her arms around her lover's ethereal form as he turned to her and did the same.

Gamakichi, the oldest of the toads from the old times still living, having overheard the conversation, grinned. "Don't worry, Naruto-niichan. We'll find her soon!" he said, then turned to Gamatatsu, and added, "Come on, little bro! We've gotta get our princess back, and bring her new prince with her! It's a good thing we shrunk after getting big though, cuz' the place we're about to go is pretty damn cramped, from what I can sense!"

Gamatatsu looked over at his older brother. "Are we going on a trip, niichan? I hope they have good sake there," he said, sounding as laid back as he did when he was young.

"Probably, but we shouldn't drink in front of little Ren-chan! Besides, we'll have time for that later!" Gamakichi said happily, and the two toads prepared to summon themselves to their friend's side...

Back aboard the Red Lynx...

Almost as soon as Cou and Ren got back on board, two small clouds of smoke appeared to either side of them. When the smoke cleared, Cou was startled to see a pair of toads wearing vests and carrying dangerous-looking knives. He was even further startled when one of them raised a webbed hand, and said, "Yo! Good to see you again, Ren-hime!"

Ren gasped. "Gamakichi? Gamatatsu? Is it really you?" she asked, very relieved to see them alive and well.

Gamatatsu smiled and waved. "Ren-hime, you remember us? That makes me so happy," he said, then looked at Cou and gasped. "That human you've bonded with! He gives off the same aura as... Niichan! Look at the human's aura!" the younger of the two toads suddenly exclaimed.

Gamakichi looked Cou over with a critical eye. "Hmmm... He has it, definitely! The same Will of Fire that burns in Naruto-niichan, Hinata-jouchan, Eve-hime, and you, Ren-hime! No wonder you chose to bond with him! I approve!" the old toad said happily, then shot a ball of fire at the doorway when he sensed an attacker about to come through, and said, "Looks like we've gotten in the middle of a fight of sorts! Why don't we fight together, like old times!"

Gamatatsu and Gamakichi surprised Cou by leaping onto each of his shoulders and somehow attaching themselves. "We'll act as turrets, while you and Ren-hime go around taking out the trash. Come on, let's go!" the older of the two toads shouted with gusto.

As soon as they entered the hangar where all the fighting was taking place, though, the toads both face-palmed at the amount of people fighting. "Okay, Gamatatsu. Forget fighting them all individually. Let's just hit them with a Frog Song," Gamakichi said, exasperated.

Ren frowned slightly. "Cou, go back into the hall, and shut the door behind you. You don't want to get caught up in this," she said.

Cou was curious to hear this 'frog song', but, due to the look Ren was giving him that spoke of her unease concerning it, he decided to listen to her and hightail it back to the bridge, and shut the door on the way there...

A few minutes later...

Cou and Ren, the latter being back in her humanoid form, entered the hangar to find that everybody had been knocked out cold by the Frog Song. Gamakichi and Gamatatsu returned to their side in a cloud of smoke, startling Cou.

"Gamakichi, did you find anything out?" Ren asked, reaching down to offer the small toad an easier ride up to her shoulder, where he connected to her like he did with Cou earlier.

"Well, the good news is, the crew of this ship are willing to aid us, as we found out through interrogation. The bad news is, those girls in black were after you, and...Eve-hime doesn't have much time left... The people with Arc Aile want to come with us, but considering how their people have tried to break into Atarashi Konoha with force many times before, they will be brought in as our prisoners. They don't know anything, but they might be sleepers. Also, these women in black, and that woman, Kuea...I don't know how to tell you this, but they're all your nieces..." Gamakichi explained, then added, "Naturally, we aren't going to keep them as prisoners, but other than Kuea, they will all be placed under watch."

Ren sighed. She felt for her sister. Being forced to make more of their kind must be tiring for her...and painful. "How long have I been sealed?" she asked.

Surprisingly, it was Gamatatsu who answered. "12,583 years, three months, sixteen days, and eight and a half hours, Ren-chan," he said, his voice heavy with sadness.

"In other words, far too long," Gamakichi added, patting the girl's head affectionately. He then turned to Cou, and said, "Mind taking us to the flight deck of the ship? Tatsu and I are going to summon it to our home, so that Ren can see her parents again."

Cou nodded. "Sure! Will I be able to meet her parents, too?" he asked.

Gamakichi grinned. "Count on it, gaki!"

A few moments later, the Red Lynx airship was surrounded by an orb of light, and in the next instant, it was gone...

End Chapter One


	2. What Happened All Those Years Ago?

The Origins of the Elemental Gelade

Disclaimer: I disclaim all that is used in this fanfiction.

Chapter Two

_What Happened all those Years Ago?_

In the ruins of Atarashi Konoha...

Ren stumbled a bit, disoriented after the reverse summoning. _"That technique always seems to catch me off guard,"_ she thought to herself. However, as soon as she was back to normal, and able to stretch out her senses, she gasped, and looked off the edge of the ship.

The place was barren, but somehow, she could tell that this was her home. "No...The village is..." she whimpered, then broke down in tears.

Cou, who had finally returned to his senses, saw Ren crying, and went over to her. "Ren...? What's wrong? Where are we?" he asked, kneeling down next to her and, after hesitating a bit, putting his hand on her shoulder. However, Ren simply passed out, tears still flowing from her eyes.

"Give her here, gaki. We'll get her to a bed, and to her parents. They've missed her so much," Gamakichi said from behind Cou, as the two small toads gently lifted Ren up, despite their small size in comparison.

"Poor Ren-chan. She must be really tired, huh, Niichan?" Gamatatsu joked softly, though the sadness he felt for his friend could be seen in his eyes clearly. It was obvious he was just playing dumb. The poor girl was in shock upon seeing her home village in such a state.

It was obvious that they were all inside an enormous cavern. The remains of many homes, along with areas with open spaces, obviously for activities, were scattered across the floor of the cave. Looking up, there was a light source that was like a miniature sun. A sky that seemed to have been painted by various people with various levels of skill spanned the ceiling of the cave. In some places, though, it was destroyed. It was obvious that this place had been torn apart by a horrible battle.

Several toads, some of them being much too big to fit inside of the airship, and even more that seemed even larger, along with many small ones, came out of various tunnels at the edges of the main cavern, though some simply appeared in clouds of smoke that seemingly erupted from the ground.

Cou was startled when he heard somebody behind him. "So...You're the boy who reacted with my elder daughter, right?" He turned around to see a man with blond hair, blue eyes, whisker-marks on his cheeks, an orange and black jumpsuit with a red overcoat, and a blue gem on the back of his right hand, and a woman with navy blue hair, lavender pupil-less eyes, a beautiful blue kimono, and a pale lavender gem on her forehead. It was obviously the male of the two who spoke, and Cou suddenly realized he was about to punch him. The blond sky pirate brought his arms up to block, but he didn't feel anything. When he brought his hands back down, he could see that the man's arm was going straight through his body, and Cou let out a strange sound that sounded like a mix between a scream and a burp.

"Heheh, that never gets old!" the whiskered man laughed, then jabbed his thumb into his chest and said, "I'm Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze, and this is my wife Hinata! We're ghosts right now!"

The woman, identified as Hinata, bowed slightly. "Please forgive my husband. He's having trouble containing his excitement, and, to be honest, I am as well. Do you know where Ren-chan is?" she asked.

Cou shook his head to clear his mind for a second, then answered, "Those two toads, Gamakichi and Gamatatsu, I think they were called, took her somewhere to rest, since she passed out."

Naruto nodded, then turned to Cou, and asked, "By the way, what's your name, kiddo?"

Cou grinned, and answered, "My name is Coud Van Giruet, but my friends call me Cou. I have to say, if you two are as amazing as Ren is, this should be an interesting day for me, to say the least!"

Hinata and Naruto smiled, nodding to the boy, and the former suggested, "Why don't we go to where Ren-chan is? We have a lot to discuss."

With that, the three of them headed to where Ren was.

About an hour later, in Ren's room at what remained of the Uzumaki-Namikaze residence

Cou sat next to the bed that Ren was currently sleeping in. He would occasionally rub her head, seeing as it seemed to help her with the nightmare she was currently having. Naruto and Hinata had been in the room earlier, until a toad came in and took a blood sample from Ren. After that, the two of them had left, commenting how nice it would feel to be able to hold their daughter in their arms again.

Cou sighed softly. He wished he had known his parents. The old man had found him when he was small, and took him in, raising him to be one of his crew. They were a rowdy bunch, but Cou was happy to call them family. Still, he wondered what life would have been like, had his parents not died, or left him, or whatever it was that happened.

Cou was startled slightly when the door opened, and Naruto and Hinata, somehow being solid now, walked in. Hinata quickly went to the bed, apparently able to sense her daughter's distress, and carefully got into the bed with her, letting the blue-gray-haired girl snuggle against her as she ran her fingers through her daughter's hair. While at a slower pace than his wife, Naruto also went over to see Ren, kissing the girl's cheek affectionately when he got near enough. He then sat down near the end of the bed and turned to Cou. "I have a lot to tell you, Cou-san," he said, then went on to explain the history of the era he, Hinata, and Ren lived in.

"...And after I defeated Pain, and became the village's hero...that's when things started going downhill. Grandma Tsunade fell into a coma, and Danzou Shimura was instated as the sixth Hokage..." Naruto's eyes became solemn upon saying this, and he continued, "That monster killed her as she rested, and a rebellion started upon the village shinobi discovering this, with me at its head. Our rebellion was almost immediately subdued, as Danzou-teme had been expecting this to happen. So, in a desperate move, I ripped out all of the Kyuubi's power in one go. Apparently, that was too much for it, and the beast was killed. In turn, I had become a demon myself, and had the power to kill Danzou.

"But that apparently wasn't enough. We didn't know about it at the time, but he had an heir, and so the ROOT shinobi continued attacking. I'd have been able to defeat them all, if it were just me there, but there were many civilians and injured comrades who we had to protect. So we retreated. We ran from the place we'd called home for many generations, and eventually built the place we are now, Atarashi Konoha, our New Leaf. Here, we're underground, and safe from most attacks. The cave was built with Earth Style ninjutsu, and the homes and other buildings were built with our hands and our hearts. All of the villagers took pride in this new home we'd created, and we were even able to create a sun and sky, despite our location beneath the earth. Various tunnels led to the surface in various places, and we were able to stay hidden for a good long time.

"We eventually caught wind of the Akatsuki's defeat, and the world falling under the influence of Kota Shimura, the head of ROOT. Naturally, we invited many of our friends from other villages to live here. The people were happy at that time, but I..."

Hinata, sensing her husband's pain, got up from the bed, inadvertently waking the sleeping Ren, and went to his side. She explained, "Naruto-kun was taking Tsunade-sama's loss hard. As a girl who had loved him for years at the time, I felt I should help him get back on his feet. Naruto-kun may have led us out of Konoha, but he was in no state to lead us the way he was at that time. I did my best to comfort him, and eventually, he started to open back up again, and we began dating. Kakashi-sensei had taken the role of leadership at that time, hoping to pass it back to Naruto-kun when he was ready to reclaim it, so we were all in good hands. Eventually, Naruto-kun and I were married, and a few weeks later, we found that I was pregnant with Ren and Eve.

"He was so happy, we were so happy...The entire village celebrated the good news. And with Naruto-kun's Will of Fire rekindled, he was named the leader of New Leaf," Hinata went on, then picked up a surprised Ren from where she was pretending to be asleep, and held the girl in her lap. "A little over nine months later, on December twenty-fourth, little Ren and Eve were born. They were the first of their kind, and apparently, birthing them caused Naruto-kun and me to get the same powers they had. We soon discovered that these powers were enhanced by our bonds to each other. We've since called the power 'reacting'. Ren-chan turns into a sword empowered with wind, and Eve-chan, being her twin, turns into a matching sword, with power over water," Hinata explained, then leaned down and kissed Ren's forehead.

"Mom..." Ren murmured as she snuggled into the older woman's embrace.

Naruto decided to continue from there. "The next fifteen years of our lives were undoubtedly our happiest. We raised Ren and Eve in our peaceful village, and the two were loved by all of our friends, who were also getting together in couples and marrying over time, some of them having kids as well. I only wish it could have lasted..." he said solemnly, then explained, "One day, Eve went out with several of the villagers to get provisions for the village, but they didn't return. When we sent shinobi out to investigate, we found many of them dead, and Eve and a few others missing. The only survivor reported that ROOT shinobi had ambushed them, and taken our daughter and several others. We knew it was only a matter of time before they found out the location of our village. And soon enough, our peace was shattered.

"We sent away as many of the civilians as we could, but I suspect most of them died that day. We shinobi fought tooth and nail to survive and give our loved ones time to escape. Hinata-chan and I were separated from Ren's group, and soon enough, we couldn't sense her anymore. Two of the ROOT shinobi were preparing to summon the Shinigami to seal Hinata and myself into infants, to make new jinchuuriki, so we did the only thing we could do, in that losing battle...We sacrificed our bodies, and destroyed all who remained. The toads, who have been our allies through thick and thin, discovered Hinata-chan and me as spirits, and what remained of our village. They vowed to guard this place for as long as it took for either Ren or Eve to return and revive us. And now, we have our little Ren back. All that's needed now is to find Eve-chan."

Cou was deeply saddened by this story. He looked to his hand, with which he'd attempted to comfort Ren as she slept, and tightened it into a fist. "I made a promise to Ren..." he said softly, but loud enough that the others in the room could hear it, then proclaimed, "I'm going to keep my promise, and reunite her with her family, and a family isn't complete until all of its members are together! I swear to all of you, I might not be very powerful, or smart, but I will help you find Eve, if I have to die trying!"

Naruto grinned at the boy. "I had a feeling you'd say that! You're a good kid! Now we've just gotta get you and Ren in sync, so you can both fight better!" he exclaimed.

Cou was startled to hear a great amount of croaking and cheering. He looked out through a large hole in the wall, to find that the once empty yard it showed was now filled with many toads and the crew of the Red Lynx.

The old man, the boss of the Red Lynx, was shedding proud tears. "You're finally on your way to becoming a man, Cou, and a true member of the Red Lynx! Go ahead on your journey with these people! We'll catch up when we get our big bird fixed and out of this cave!" he exclaimed.

Cou smiled, then turned back to Naruto, Hinata, and Ren. "I won't let you guys down. I promise!" he vowed happily.

Naruto nodded. "Good. Now, let's go visit our prisoners, and see if they can help us find Eve, dattebayo!" he exclaimed.

And so, the quartet headed to where the members of Arc Aile and that other group were being kept...

With Cisqua, Rowen, and Kuea...

"Hey, um, Kuea? Why do you think they let you stay out of the cage, but not Cisqua and me?" Rowen asked.

"Better yet...WHY AREN'T YOU GETTING US OUT?!" Cisqua asked/screeched.

Kuea, who was busy stuffing her face with delicious food, paused for a moment. "Well, apparently, I'm the granddaughter of this 'Naruto-boss' the toads keep talking about. I guess that makes me a VIP! As for why I'm not getting you out...They said they'd stop serving me all this food if I wasn't good. I'm not going to give up on all this free food, you know!" the hungry, hungry edel raid explained. Cisqua growled angrily as she attempted to break the bars of the cage down once again, until the door leading outside opened. In stepped Naruto, Hinata, Cou, and Ren.

Cisqua growled. "Who are you people? What do you want with the Shichiko-hoji?" she asked angrily.

Naruto glared at the woman, sending a bit of Killing Intent at her to shut her up. "There is no such thing as this 'Shichiko-hoji' you're spouting nonsense about. You were given false information about my daughter, and our race in general. Unfortunately, that false information is common knowledge in these lands, according to my information, and it will take a good, long time to get the world to know what 'Edel Raids' really are," Naruto explained, quite upset with what his toad spies around the world have told him about Arc Aile.

Rowen frowned. "But sir, how would you know such things? The Shichiko-hoji is standing right next to you," he commented.

Tears threatened to spill from Ren's eyes. "Again, you speak of me like I'm an object...Are all of my family members treated like this? Bought and sold like slaves?" she asked softly, then shouted, "Do you also breed us like cattle? Maybe you also trade us for valuable items! Do you milk our women now, instead of cows? Maybe you think you'd like to eat the meat off my body! Or have you discovered better uses for our people? Maybe I'm a battery to you...Oh, Kami-sama, has Eve-chan been forced through these atrocities?!"

The confused girl broke down into sobs, and Hinata went to her. "Shhhh. It's okay, little Ren," she whispered softly, then turned to Cou, and said, "Please, take her back to her room and keep her company. I'd join you, but Naruto-kun might need my help."

Cou nodded, then gently helped Ren up. "Come on, Ren. You should probably get some rest," he said gently, as he escorted her out of the room.

Naruto sighed. "I'm sorry about my daughter. She's been in a sealed state for over ten thousand years. She's essentially woken up in a completely different era, and she's scared and confused," he said softly, then added, "I know that most of the things she talked about aren't done to us, but you don't know what the leader of Arc Aile intends to do with us."

Cisqua grew wide-eyed. "Y-you're a girl?!" she sputtered.

Naruto's face turned red with embarrassment. "I'm not a girl, you damn midget! I'm a man!" he shouted indignantly.

Hinata giggled. "More of a man than most, I might add," she said, blushing at the slight innuendo of her statement.

Kuea decided to interrupt at that moment. "If you're not a woman, then why are you talking like you're an Edel Raid? We're all female, after all," she stated, chewing on some meat.

Naruto then gestured to the Elemental Gelade on his hand. "I am one of the first four of our kind. Apparently, I'm also the only man in our family. All of the so-called 'Edel Raids' besides myself, my wife Hinata, and our two daughters, are clones of my younger daughter, Eve, who was taken from us that terrible day millennia ago. Unfortunately, these clones are apparently unable to reproduce. Therefore, no males have been born since myself, and I wasn't even born as I am now, so I technically don't count," he explained.

Hinata sighed. "I'll explain," she said softly. And so, their story was told again...

Meanwhile, with Ren and Cou...

Ren had quieted down a bit by the time they got to her room, but it was obvious she was still troubled. "I'm sorry about that, Cou," she said softly.

Cou frowned, confused. "Why are you apologizing to me?" he asked.

"I broke down so badly...I must have embarrassed you so much. I don't usually get so worked up...I'm your partner, but I guess I'm not getting any stronger," she explained.

Cou smiled softly. "You didn't embarrass me. As for you not being strong, what are you talking about? You took down that flying thing in one shot! If that's not strong, I don't know what is!" he exclaimed, praising the distraught girl.

Ren nodded. "I guess I shouldn't expect such great results from our bond right away...But...But what's been happening to my family? What are Edel Raids used for?" she asked, despite her fear of the potential answer.

Cou sighed. "I honestly don't know. You're the first 'Edel Raid' I've ever seen, and I've only just met you," he explained softly.

Ren teared up again, imagining what things her people might have been put through, and leaned against Cou. "Would you...do a favor for me?" she asked quietly.

Cou nodded. "What do you need?"

Ren blushed slightly, and answered, "I know you're a boy, and boys don't normally do this for girls, but we're partners, and it will make our bond stronger...The seals that supply our village with water should still be working...and when Mama does it, it's really relaxing...Would you give me a bath?"

Cou was about to tell her he couldn't do that, but he saw her eyes...She needed this, he could see it. "O-okay...Will your parents be all right with this, though?" he asked.

She nodded. "Eve and I were told when we were small that when we eventually formed a pact with a boy, that we could do what we want to strengthen our bond with them, as long as it wasn't something hurtful or cruel to others. Mama and Papa said that they'd encourage activities that would promote friendship or love with our partners. They know how much I enjoy being bathed by them, so they might have suspected that I'd ask you to give me one when they told you to take me back here...They'll be okay, as long as you don't do anything to hurt me," the green-eyed girl explained.

Cou nodded, and the two went into another room. There were four sinks, a large tub that could probably fit a small family, and, naturally, a toilet. Cou whistled at how well the room was crafted. Ren touched a small seal near the tub, and it began filling with water. Then came one of several 'moments of truth' that they'd go through in that bathroom. "I-I'm going to get undressed now, Cou...Y-you may watch, if you like," Ren said hesitantly.

Cou's mind went blank for a moment, then he sputtered out, "I-I'll take my clothes off, too. You shouldn't have to be the only one of us to get undressed."

Ren nodded, and in a moment, the two were completely bare in front of the other; the only article of clothing remaining worn was Ren's ribbon.

The girl blushed, and murmured, "P-please remove my r-ribbon...B-beneath it, in the middle of my forehead, is my s-stone...It's very sensitive, and it's the only part of my body that doesn't appear human."

Cou nodded, gulping audibly, and slowly approached. She was very pretty, with somewhat large breasts with rosy red nipples that contrasted with her pale skin well, well-shaped hips, and a petite frame. He could tell the color of her hair was her natural color, due to the small patch of pubic hair right above her most private area. In all honesty, she was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen, though he'd not seen many to begin with.

Ren blushed as he came closer. He was really handsome, with his tan skin and slightly-muscled body. He obviously had seen combat, due to the scars here and there, and his manly part was probably as large as her father's, though she hadn't seen it since they had last bathed as a family when she was small, so she might be wrong.

Finally, the boy reached out to the ribbon, and carefully removed the hair accessory, revealing the beautiful green gem beneath. It was somewhat strangely placed, seeming to grow through Ren's bangs rather than parting them. Out of curiosity, Cou reached forward, and rubbed the small jewel with his finger, surprised to find it to be warm instead of cool. As he caressed it, Ren shivered slightly, letting out a soft moan.

"S-sorry!" Cou exclaimed, realizing that the stone was likely an erogenous spot on his new partner's body.

Ren blushed heavily and smiled. "You are the first boy besides my father to touch my stone...and to see me naked..." she said softly, a little giddy about these special firsts.

Cou was startled when the girl in front of him took his hand, and moved it so it was touching her lower belly. "I dream of being a mother someday, Cou...When we're able to settle down, will you allow me to carry your children...i-in my womb? It would make me very happy," Ren said softly.

Cou nodded dumbly, then shook his head clear of the weirdness that had overcome it. "R-Ren, are you okay? You're acting strange," he said, his blush going away due to his thinking something was wrong with her.

Ren's eyes widened, her entire face turned red, and she backed away suddenly. "I-I'm s-sorry, Cou...My body knows you're my partner, and it's releasing...h-hormones to make me feel m-more at ease with you and to encourage me to let you see and t-touch me like this...I-I would not normally allow a boy to even stare at me too long when I'm clothed, but since you're my...p-partner, my body reacts differently to you," she explained.

Cou smiled reassuringly. "Well, we'll just have to keep an eye on that aspect of you. Do you know if all bonds with your kind are like ours?" he asked curiously.

Ren shook her head. "I've only witnessed the bond between my parents, and my sister and her partner, Asako," the blue-gray-haired girl said softly, remembering the pain she felt from her sister when said boy died. "I don't know if all bonds are like that, but my parents enjoy spending time with each other and us more than anything, and Eve-chan and Asako had gotten...intimate a few times, though they never truly made love...It seemed to help their power grow, when they would regularly spend time together. For our kind, strengthening our bond increases our powers. Y-you are my first human partner, so I'm not familiar with everything...L-let's just get in the bath now. I-I'm getting goosebumps from standing out here like this," she explained, then gestured to the bathtub which was now full.

They slowly got in, letting their bodies adjust to the heated water. Ren smiled serenely as she felt the water surround her body, and lowered herself into it far enough to blow bubbles with her nose, causing Cou to chuckle. She really looked silly doing that. Seeing Cou happy made Ren smile, even though their bond had just been created a few hours ago. Rising from the water a bit, she went over to where Cou was, and pulled him down with her, hugging him to her. "I just realized that all the soap must have gone bad by now!" she laughed, enjoying spending time with her partner, no, her friend.

Cou frowned, slightly confused. "Then how am I supposed to wash you?" he asked.

Ren gave him a warm look, and confessed, "It's okay. It's really the contact I enjoy from getting a bath. If you could just hold me in your arms for a while, I think that would be nice..."

Cou nodded, and hesitantly put his arms around her. Ren smiled at how tenderly he held her, but then frowned upon sensing his nervousness. Using a chakra exercise her mother taught her, she began emitting the bonding hormones, helping Cou relax. Finally able to do so, Cou let out a breath of relief, smiling as he held this girl in his arms. He was about to ask something to her, finding himself wanting to get to know her better, but he found that she'd fallen asleep in his arms, a content smile on her face. Looking warmly at her, he thought to himself, _"I'll wait till she wakes up to ask her. We have time right now, after all..."_

Meanwhile, with Naruto and Hinata

Husband and wife watched from the other side of the village ruins with their enhanced vision, as their daughter fell asleep in the arms of a young man.

"They look so peaceful together, don't they, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked, snuggling into her husband's arms.

Naruto nodded. "I hope they're ready for what's ahead, though. I don't want them meeting the same fate as Eve-chan and Asako," he replied, frowning.

Hinata kissed her husband's chest, over his heart. "We'll be there this time. Everything will be fine once we're all together again," she said softly, reaching out absently with her senses in search of Eve. She was startled, however, when she felt a response. "N-Naruto-kun...E-Eve-chan...I've f-found her..." she gasped out, tears of joy running down her face.

Naruto's eyes widened, and he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close to him. "We have to tell Ren the good news soon!" he exclaimed.

Hinata shook her head. "No. She already knows. You remember how strong their bond was, Naruto-kun," she hushed him softly.

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Well, let's call it a night, shall we?" he suggested.

Hinata nodded, and the two of them headed home.

Meanwhile, in Ren's dream

Ren reached out, sensing her sister. "Eve-chan, where are you?" she asked worriedly.

A weak voice called back. "Please, Neechan...Don't look for me...Please...They want to use you like they're using me..." Eve's voice whimpered.

Ren was scared now. "Eve...What's wrong? What are they doing?" she cried out.

She could sense her sister trying to calm herself. "D-don't worry...Just...run away with Mama and Papa...Don't worry about me. I-I'll be at peace soon..." she whimpered, then began sobbing, and soon started screaming, as if in pain.

Ren's eyes opened wide at that moment, her body waking up as she involuntarily shrieked, "EVE!"

End Chapter Two


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